First Post! Help with my first SIMPLE switching Regulator 12v ->5V
Hello,
What a neat site, I hope this is as enjoyable as it appears to be. I don't have any formal background, but just like to tinker, and impove my electronics knowledge...
My project for over the holidays is to improve the visibility of my motorcycle by adding running lights and more brake lights. I plan on using 350ma high brightness LEDs, LUxeons or knockoffs. My biggest challenge is in the side lights which will function as brake lights and turn signal lights... It's a small space, and most of that space will be taken up by the LED's heatsinks...
So I didn't want to use a linear regulator to bring 12v down to 5v, because at 320ma per LED that's 2.33 watts of power being dissipated by the VR... need to keep heat and size down, so I thought a little switching regulator would work. Found a few for ~13-16$...
Texas Instruments bought out Power Trends which used to make a LM78XX style 3 pin switching power regulator that was only slightly bigger than a T220 case, but now they have the PT6101:
**broken link removed**
Which would work fine 1 amp is enough, but at 15$ a pop from digikey, I was hoping to make my own to save some $.
C&D also has a module at mouser, but that's 18$ a pop for 1amp 12v -> 5v
The trick is running only 2 LEDs @ 2v forward voltage drop from 12volts is realistically what I'm doing. I could make 1 big switching regulator, and distribute the 5v around the bike, but they sometimes need different on/off states, blinking, brake light etc...
Any reccomendations on a "kit" or SMD sized switching regulator? I can do dip/sip soldering fine, but the inductors really scare me, I have had bad experiences trying to size for current and physical dimensions inductors before... But I'd really like to build my own, but hoping somebody had some cheap easy chip guidelines to follow to make a small ~1-2 amp switching regulator.
Thanks, Bill
Hello,
What a neat site, I hope this is as enjoyable as it appears to be. I don't have any formal background, but just like to tinker, and impove my electronics knowledge...
My project for over the holidays is to improve the visibility of my motorcycle by adding running lights and more brake lights. I plan on using 350ma high brightness LEDs, LUxeons or knockoffs. My biggest challenge is in the side lights which will function as brake lights and turn signal lights... It's a small space, and most of that space will be taken up by the LED's heatsinks...
So I didn't want to use a linear regulator to bring 12v down to 5v, because at 320ma per LED that's 2.33 watts of power being dissipated by the VR... need to keep heat and size down, so I thought a little switching regulator would work. Found a few for ~13-16$...
Texas Instruments bought out Power Trends which used to make a LM78XX style 3 pin switching power regulator that was only slightly bigger than a T220 case, but now they have the PT6101:
**broken link removed**
Which would work fine 1 amp is enough, but at 15$ a pop from digikey, I was hoping to make my own to save some $.
C&D also has a module at mouser, but that's 18$ a pop for 1amp 12v -> 5v
The trick is running only 2 LEDs @ 2v forward voltage drop from 12volts is realistically what I'm doing. I could make 1 big switching regulator, and distribute the 5v around the bike, but they sometimes need different on/off states, blinking, brake light etc...
Any reccomendations on a "kit" or SMD sized switching regulator? I can do dip/sip soldering fine, but the inductors really scare me, I have had bad experiences trying to size for current and physical dimensions inductors before... But I'd really like to build my own, but hoping somebody had some cheap easy chip guidelines to follow to make a small ~1-2 amp switching regulator.
Thanks, Bill
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